Not Applicable
Although the use of the device of this invention is not limited thereto, it will be described as applied to the transport of tunnel hull speedboats. The trailer of this invention can be used in connection other types of boats, and with such things as pre-fabricated roof trusses and other prefab structures, or concrete forms, for example.
Tunnel hull ocean-going speed boats are on the order of ten and one half feet wide and roughly five feet high from the lower surface of the sponsons to the deck, and on the order of forty-four to fifty five feet long. The width of such a boat is greater than the allowed width of a trailer on highways in many states. Accordingly, in hauling a ten and one-half foot boat through several states, it is necessary to get special permits. It has been proposed to carry such boats on a trailer that is slanted upwardly sufficiently to make the effective width of the boat within the limits imposed by state laws. However, in these prior art trailers, the cradle on which the boat rests is permanently slanted, so that a boat being transported has to be lifted by crane or the like and put into place and removed at the other end with a similar device. It is said that a European trailer has a high deck, one side of which can be lowered, but this also requires that the boat be hoisted into position originally.
One of the objects of this invention is to provide a trailer on which a boat can be loaded so that it rides flat, for example, by being moved under the boat on land or in the water, and then tilted up to the desired angle, and unloaded by moving the boat to the level position and removing it from the trailer in a similar way.
Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the following description and accompanying drawings.
In accordance with this invention, generally stated, an over-the-road trailer for an undesirably over-width object includes a cradle on which the object is seated, a wheeled frame carrying the cradle and means for raising the cradle on one side relative to the frame from a generally horizontal position to a position at an angle to the frame sufficient to make the effective width of the object within legal limits for over the road travel. The moving means includes a lifting arm mounted at one end on a pivot to the frame and connected at another end of the arm to the cradle. Means, in the form of a hydraulic cylinder, for example, are provided for lifting the arm about the pivot. Guide and support means include a track on the frame and an arm mounted on the cradle. The arm moves in a direction toward the pivot in response to raising of the cradle by the lifting arm, and bears on the track on the frame. Preferably, a wheel is mounted on an outer end of the arm, positioned to engage and run along the track in response to raising of the cradle. Preferably also, the track includes a ramp sloping from a side of the frame downwardly in the direction toward the pivot, a section of the track adjacent the ramp being substantially linear, but tending in a small angle upwardly away from the ramp. Plates mounted parallel to and positioned at either side of the track are secured to the frame, the plates having a surface, sloping upwardly in a direction toward the pivot, to receive a projection on the arm near the wheel whereby when the cradle is moved to its upright position the wheel is raised slightly from the track by the movement of the projection along the sloping surface, to relieve the wheel of its load when the boat is tilted upright. Although the hydraulic cylinder is sufficient to hold the cradle in its uppermost position, the plates can have holes in them and the arm have a hole corresponding thereto whereby when the cradle is moved to its upright position the holes are aligned to receive a pin. Preferably, a multiplicity of lifting arms and guide and support means are spaced lengthwise of the trailer. The number of lifting arms and lifting mechanisms such as hydraulic cylinders required may vary, depending upon the load, to as few as one, but the number of guide and support means should be more than one, preferably three or more.